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“Kobe Bryant Was a King in Our House”: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Family Felt Lost After Legendary NBA Player’s Shocking Demise

Published 08/13/2022, 10:15 AM EDT

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26th January 2020- We were all probably having just another day of our life. Most of us were carrying out our daily routines while others may have been doing something else. But one news emerged that changed the trajectory of the day. The world mourned in unison as the headlines read about Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate death in a helicopter crash. Many considered the news to be nothing but a hoax upon first hearing it, but it wasn’t. People across the globe were shocked and did not know how to react. And the household of Arnold Schwarzenegger was no different.

His ex-wife, Maria Shriver, and his eldest son, Christopher, were the most affected in the family. In an excerpt from one of her newsletters, Shriver once revealed what it dealing with the tragic news was like.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wife reveals their family’s response to the news

Arnold Schwarzenegger has lived in Los Angeles with his family for years. The city of LA has always been big on basketball, and the Schwarzenegger family was no different. Both of Arnold’s sons (especially Christopher) were fans of the LA Lakers. Writing about the same in her newsletter, Shriver said, “You see, we are a Lakers family. That means Kobe Bryant was a king in our house. Both of my boys grew up with him and are Lakers fanatics.”

So, it was only natural for them to be left speechless when the tragic news surfaced. Shriver recalled having lunch with her cousin when Katherine called her to deliver the news. “I had trouble processing what she was saying because she was talking so fast and was so overwhelmed by the news.” After speaking with Katherine, Maria immediately called Christopher. “He couldn’t speak. Neither could his brother, Patrick, and shortly thereafter, neither could I.”

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According to Maria, Christopher lived and breathed Kobe. His room was decorated with pictures of Kobe. Christopher even waited hours in line to get a ticket in the nosebleed section for Kobe’s last game. For Chris’ 21st birthday, Shriver got him a picture of Kobe signed by him, which is his most valuable possession.

Writing about dealing with the loss, Shriver said, “I know it will take a long time. My older son immersed himself in Kobe’s videos, looking for wisdom and looking for life lessons. He processed it in the way that was best for him.” While Shriver took comfort in seeing the outpouring of love from people who realized the fragility of life.

Bryant’s death gave Shriver some unwelcomed flashbacks

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Shriver, who was in Florida when the incident happened, was reminded of some tragic events that had happened to her. It reminded her of the unexpected calls that shared news of sudden tragedies in her family.

In the same newsletter, Shriver revealed two major incidents that had rocked her family. The first one was of her cousin Courtney. Courtney had lost her only daughter, Saoirse, in August the year before. And in 2018, Shriver had to deal with the loss of her other cousin, Christopher. Shriver wrote, “Both deaths were sudden and devastating.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Arnold Schwarzenegger Being Drop Kicked by a Kid Not Even Budging Got the Best Reaction From Joe Rogan

The news of Bryant’s death served as a wake-up call for many. It reminded people that there’s no better time than now to let people know you love them and care for them.

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Written by:

Naman Gopal Srivastava

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Naman Gopal is a US Sports Writer at EssentiallySports. Naman is an Undergraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, with a minor’s degree in Cinematography from the Maharashtra Institute of Technology. An ardent fan of basketball and soccer, Naman was once a national level soccer player himself.
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